Amazon Sued Over Alleged Failure to Provide Adequate Accommodations for Breast-Feeding Women

LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A class action lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Federal Court alleging Amazon fails to comply with state and federally mandated accommodations for female employees who have returned to work but must pump breastmilk in order to bottle feed their babies.

Over the last 10+ years, the federal government, as well as the State of California, passed laws that require employers to provide proper and reasonable break times and locations for women to pump breast milk. The lawsuit claims that Amazon, one of the largest companies on earth, blatantly flouts these laws and rules, making life difficult for breast-feeding mothers and the infants they care for.

"Amazon isn't just harming mothers, they're harming babies," said attorney Kiley Grombacher of Bradley/Grombacher, LLP. "Women are often in pain when they cannot properly pump, and infants fail to get the life-giving nutrients their little bodies need. Amazon is literally interfering with people's basic biology when they fail to provide basic care for their employees."

According to the complaint, the lead plaintiff in this case, Fernanda Torres, was a mother of a five-month-old infant whom she was breastfeeding when she began working for Amazon in August of 2021. She was employed as a fulfillment center associate at the Beaumont, CA facility. 

On her first day of employment, Ms. Torres was assured there were adequate facilities for lactation. However, she quickly discovered this wasn't true. Despite the sheer size of the facility, there was only a single 6'X6' space for lactating employees. It took Ms. Torres it at least 40-45 minutes for one pumping session that was interrupted by other mothers and lead to various employees sharing the small space. With only 5-minute breaks and 30-minute lunches, she often had to use unpaid time during the working day or suffer engorgement.

Ms. Torres informed human resources many times of this difficult situation, but nothing was done. Her hours were then reduced to a 32-hour week, meaning she was paid far less. The complaint also alleges Amazon did nothing to properly handle the lactation area.

The case is Fernanda Torres et al. v. Amazon.com Services, LLC, United States District Court, Central District of California, Case No. 5:22-CV-01326.

When you find yourself in need of taking legal action against another party in a dispute, turn to the attorneys at Bradley/Grombacher for help. Our lawyers have more than 50 years of combined experience that can be put to work to help you get the fair and just compensation you deserve in a dispute involving employment law, consumer law, and personal injury law.

Contact:
Kiley Grombacher/Marcus Bradley - 888-418-7094.

SOURCE Bradley/Grombacher